EATING AT THE FOUNDATION

There is a tendency for people to think that preachers who see danger signs and warn against them are “prophets of doom” and can only see the evils in the world and look for nothing else. This is not the case. There are many good things in this world. God created a wonderful place for mankind to live. The wonders and beauties of nature are all around us, and we are blessed beyond measure. However, while God is in his heaven, all is not well in the world. Here in the U. S. we are reaching the danger point. In the past, kingdoms and empires have risen and fallen; God has nurtured his people and prospered them; however, he has also let them suffer the consequences of their own carelessness and wickedness. He has let nations rise to heights, but he has also let them crumble because of their own internal rottenness. A good example was the Roman Empire. At its height, it ruled most of the world, then weakened and fell, not because a stronger empire arose, but because the Roman Empire became so prosperous and so worldly minded that nobody wanted to work any more. They hired foreign soldiers to guard their borders; they expected the government to take care of their financial needs while more and more of them spent their time at the arenas watching the gladiators, the chariot races, or some other amusement. Marriage and the home lost its sacredness, divorces became as easy to obtain as a new toga, and corruption was the order of the day. Under these conditions, Rome crumbled and fell, never to rise again.

Do some of the descriptions of the Roman Empire sound familiar? We are told by historians that conditions in America today are very similar to that of Rome at its fall. Our crime rate continues to climb; politicians are corrupt; there is very little respect for the laws of the land, and immorality is at its lowest ebb. The forces of Satan are pushing for acceptance of the idea that everybody should be able to do whatever the lusts of the flesh suggest, without guilt or embarrassment, and they have made great strides.

Even in the church, which is the only hope, division continues to disrupt Christian efforts. The latest, and perhaps the worst, “ism” to come along is liberalism. Liberalism goes hand in hand with worldliness, carelessness, and emotionalism. The liberal’s method of operation is to condemn every preacher who condemns sin, accusing him of “negativism;” and if he stresses the necessity of obedience to God’s commands, then he is “legalistic.” Brethren, beware of anyone with these tactics. Jesus said, “Not everyone that sayeth unto me , Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt.7:21). It is time to get back to God’s way in our daily lives and in our worship services.